First Major Vendor to Offer Component Software for Lotus Business Partners
and End Users

Lotus Components Enter Beta Testing

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 24, 1996 - Lotus Development Corp. today announced
that Lotus Components have entered beta testing, with product shipment
scheduled for this summer. Previewed at Lotusphere in January, Lotus
Components are a new line of small, task-focused software modules, based
on ActiveX (formerly OCX) technology, that are enhanced for Lotus Notes.
Lotus will be the first major vendor to deliver components-based business
productivity software for end users and application developers.

Lotus Components allow Notes Release 4 end users to select and use
task-specific applications within their familiar Notes environment,
eliminating the need to launch separate applications. Notes application
developers can embed Lotus Components into their applications, allowing
them to develop and customize Notes applications more quickly.

"Lotus Components afford my business a tremendous development opportunity.
We are excited to be beta testing this product and are pleased with what
we've seen," said Lotus Business Partner John Stack, director of technical
development, InfoImage. "The beta is very stable and it's been easy to get
up-to-speed on the technology. We've already used Lotus Components for
business critical tasks and have begun development of several customized
Component solutions for our product line."

"There's been a great deal of talk in the market recently about component
technologies. We're excited to be the first major vendor to actually
deliver component products with significant value to both end users and
application developers," said Michele Hagan, marketing director for Lotus
Components. "Since January, we've been showing Lotus Components to a
variety of audiences around the world and the response has been
outstanding. People quickly grasp the value that Lotus Components bring to
Notes."

Lotus Components Based on ActiveX Technology and Enhanced for Notes

Lotus Components are based on ActiveX (formerly OCX) technology and
enhanced for the Lotus Notes Release 4 environment. Lotus Components share
the Lotus Notes user interface, including context-sensitive menus,
SmartIcons, InfoBox and the live status bar. Lotus Components can be
integrated into Notes applications using Notes/FX, LotusScript and Visual
Basic. Lotus Components will work with any Windows 95 or Windows NT Notes
client (Notes Mail, Notes Desktop or Notes).

The Lotus Components product line is comprised of the Lotus Components
Starter Pack, the Lotus Components Software Developer Toolkit and the
Lotus Components Product Warehouse. The Lotus Components Starter Pack, now
in beta, includes six components: Chart, Draw/Diagram, File Viewer,
Comment, Project and Spreadsheet. The Starter Pack will also include the
Lotus Components Template Builder, which allows users and developers to
easily customize and distribute Lotus Components for their specific
business needs.

Lotus Components Provide Value for Notes End Users, Application Developers
and Component Developers

For Notes end users, Lotus Components enable them to complete their
everyday business tasks without leaving Notes, easily embedding the Lotus
Components they need directly into their Notes documents. Lotus Components
eliminate the need for users to constantly launch and work in separate
desktop applications. The small footprint of Lotus Components also reduces
end users' memory and hard-disk storage requirements.

For Notes application developers and Lotus Business Partners, Lotus
Components provide a set of reusable, customizable and programmable
software modules, allowing them to create and deliver Notes application
solutions more quickly. Lotus Components offer Notes developers a wide
range of pre-defined properties and methods to control the way a Lotus
Component looks and responds within a Notes application. The Lotus
Components Product Warehouse will be provided to manage the distribution
and licensing of Lotus Components throughout organizations.

For ActiveX developers, the Lotus Components Software Developer Toolkit can
be used to enhance a standard ActiveX control to become a Lotus Component,
integrated with Lotus Notes. This extends a significant market opportunity
to ActiveX developers, providing them access to the fast-growing Notes
installed base.

Lotus Components Web Site To Provide Product Information, On-Line Support
and User Forum

The Lotus Components web site (http://components.lotus.com) provides the
latest product information including frequently asked questions, white
papers and other marketing literature. Upon shipment of the product, the
web site will also offer free trial software, on-line support,
demonstrations and sample applications, as well as a forum for users to
offer feedback on the product. At a later date, users will also be able to
purchase Lotus Components via the web site.

Special Introductory Pricing for Notes Volume Purchasers

For 1996, the Lotus Components Starter Pack will be available at an
introductory estimated retail price (ERP) of $19 per seat for volume
customers who purchase Notes through the Lotus Passport Program. The
single user license ERP is $49 per seat. For Lotus Passport Maintenance
customers owning both SmartSuite and Notes, the Lotus Components Starter
Pack will be available at no charge in 1996. The Lotus Components Software
Developer Toolkit and the Lotus Components Product Warehouse are expected
to be available later in 1996 at no charge.

French, Japanese, German, Italian and Spanish language versions of Lotus
Components are expected to be available later in 1996. Information on
additional international language versions will be available later in the
year. For the latest information on the Lotus Component product line,
please refer to the Lotus Web site (http://components.lotus.com).
Customers can also call 1-800-555-5921 in the U.S., or in Canada at
1-800-GO-LOTUS.

Lotus Notes is the leading client-server platform for developing and
deploying strategic groupware applications that help organizations
communicate, collaborate and coordinate strategic business processes
within and beyond their organizational boundaries to achieve improved
business results. More than 8,000 companies and 4.5 million people use
Notes to improve key business processes such as customer service, sales
and account management, and product development. Lotus Notes supports all
major operating systems including IBM OS/2 Warp, Apple Mac OS, UNIX
platforms including IBM AIX, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, and SCO OpenServer, and
Microsoft Windows and Windows NT. Notes is also available as a NetWare
loadable module for the Novell environment.

Lotus Development Corp., a subsidiary of IBM Corp., offers high quality
software products and support services that reflect the company's unique
understanding of the new ways in which individuals and businesses must
work together to achieve success. Lotus' innovative approach is evident in
a new class of applications that allows information to be accessed and
communicated in ways never before possible, both within and beyond
organizational boundaries. The company also provides numerous support
services, both from its consulting division and its award-winning 24-hour
support center.

All prices and terms are for the USA only.

EDITOR'S NOTE: All Lotus news releases and other collateral are available
on the Internet, via the Lotus Development Corp. Home Page at
http://www.Lotus.com. The Lotus Home Page is an easy way to find
information about Lotus and its business partners' products and services.

Please Note: Questions about the content or currency of this press release
should be directed to your local IBM representative.
 
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